The Cleveland Guardians have been dogged by injuries all season long, and now that bug seems to have even infected the team's farm system. On Tuesday, Cleveland announced in a statement that infielder Travis Bazzana, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick and one of the top prospects in all of baseball, would miss in the neighborhood of 8-10 weeks after suffering an internal oblique strain.
This is the last thing the Guardians needed amid what is already a bit of a middle-infield crisis. Brayan Rocchio struggled so badly at the plate that he was eventually demoted to Triple-A, and while Daniel Schneemann has filled in admirably at second base so far, Gabriel Arias hasn't been so lucky. Cleveland entered Tuesday with the second-worst OPS from its shortstops in all of baseball this year; fans were hoping that Bazzana might be able to provide some reinforcements later this summer, but that plan is now on hold.
Beyond the short-term blow, though, is a far more existential question. Cleveland was thrilled to spend the No. 1 overall pick last year on Bazzana, thought to be easily the most pro-ready position player in the draft after starring at Oregon State. Less than 12 months later, though, the Guardians have just one more reason to feel a bit anxious about their top prospect's growth. And one of the other players in consideration at 1.1 is on the fast track to the Majors with a division rival.
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Guardians could live to regret passing up on Jac Caglianone
There was arguably no player more talented in the 2024 MLB Draft class than Jac Caglianone, a two-way star at Florida who combined a fastball in the upper 90s with light-tower power from the left side of the plate. But despite the fact that he hit over .400 with 35 homers in his final year with the Gators, Cleveland opted for the safety of Bazzana instead.
It now seems fair to wonder about the wisdom of that decision. Even before his injury, Bazzana was struggling a little bit more than anticipated as a pro. He's slashed .252/.362/.433 in 33 games at Double-A this season, not making quite as much contact as expected and not doing as much damage with that contact. Granted, he's still just 22, and this is his first full season of professional ball. But there were questions about his development and ultimate ceiling already, questions that this setback will only exacerbate.
Caglianone, meanwhile? He's well on his way to breaking in with the Kansas City Royals, who promoted him to Triple-A on Monday after a torrid start to his season at Double-A.
Caglianone does still have some holes in his massive swing that could get exploited at the highest level; maybe those chase and whiff issues will undo him against big-league pitching, while Bazzana's more well-rounded game winds up clicking. Right now, though, this is looking like it could be a huge missed opportunity for a Guardians team that's been desperate for pop in its lineup for years now. Bazzana still has time to turn things around, but the clock is ticking, and Caglianone just keeps cranking up the heat.